roundtable: NetAction Notes No. 24

roundtable: NetAction Notes No. 24

NetAction Notes No. 24

Audrie Krause (akrause@igc.apc.org)
Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:46:39 -0700 (PDT) 

Date: Thu, 31 Jul 1997 00:46:39 -0700 (PDT)
Message-Id: <2.2.16.19970731004715.560f69e0@pop.igc.org>
To: akrause@igc.org
From: Audrie Krause <akrause@igc.apc.org>
Subject: NetAction Notes No. 24

NetAction Notes
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Published by NetAction          Issue No. 24                  July 31, 1997	
Repost where appropriate. Copyright and subscription info at end of message.
* * * * * * *                         
IN THIS ISSUE:
Toxic Technology
Can the Spam: NetAction's Tips on E-mail Outreach
Browser Blues
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Toxic Technology

Two years ago, as the head of a consumer group, I upset folks at the Sierra
Club and the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC) by joining forces
with the oil industry to defeat an attempt by two large and very sleazy
utility companies to force consumers to subsidize the development of
electric cars through higher rates.  

While I'm certainly no friend of the oil industry, I knew that substituting
electric-powered vehicles for gas-burning models would not reduce pollution.
At best, it would have moved the source of pollution from the tailpipes of
automobiles to the smokestacks of power plants.  At worst, it would have
paved the way for construction of more nuclear power plants.  

Like electric cars, the Information Highway isn't an obvious source of
pollution.  There are no deadly fumes spewing from our personal computers,
and we don't add to air pollution when we telecommute.  But, as is the case
with electric cars, pollution on the Information Highway is occurring
somewhere else. Technology is a very dirty industry, and the toxins produced
in the electronics manufacturing process are just as dangerous as fossil
fuel emissions and spent nuclear fuel rods.

The Silicon Valley Toxics Coalition <http://www.svtc.org/svtc/> is one of
the few organizations working to reduce the pollution associated with
electronics manufacturing and make the industry more accountable.  One of
the Coalition's projects, the Campaign for Responsible Technology (CRT), was
formed to promote grassroots participation in efforts to develop sustainable
practices within the global electronics industry, which is the world's
largest and fastest growing manufacturing sector.  

CRT is now developing a global E-mail network of individual activists and
grassroots groups working to hold the high-tech industry accountable for the
environmental, economic, labor, community and health impacts of its
practices.  The list will make it easier for activists concerned about
high-tech development to share experiences, struggles, strategies, and
technical information.  

To join CRT's moderated list service, contact the Coalition at: svtc@igc.org. 
For more information about the decision to form an International Campaign for
Responsible Technology, check out <http://www.svtc.org/svtc/icrt.htm>.  
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Can the Spam: NetAction's Tips on E-mail Outreach

E-mail can be an effective organizing tool, or an annoying invasion of disk
space.  To be effective as an activist, you need to know the difference, and
how to avoid the latter.

NetAction's tips on how to use E-mail for outreach without generating
complaints about spam are featured this week in Hellraiser Central on the
Mother Jones Web site.  You'll find plenty of tips for avoiding spam at
<http://www.motherjones.com/hellraiser_central/features/krause2.html>.  

The article also discusses the three anti-spam bills now pending in
Congress, and includes pointers to Web sites with background on the legislation.
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Browser Blues

A NetAction survey of the top Internet service providers (ISPs) concludes
that Microsoft's marketing strategy is preventing consumers from choosing
the browser they use to access the World Wide Web, and the integration of
Internet Explorer (IE) into the Windows 98 operating system will only make
matters worse.

These are the primary conclusions of "Consumer Choice in Web Browsers," a
NetAction Report released today.  The full report is available on
NetAction's Web site, at <http://www.netaction.org/msoft/browsers.html>.  

In addition to the survey results, the report includes recommendations for
actions consumers can take to ensure choice in Web browsers.  NetAction is
asking Internet users concerned about Microsoft's anti-competitive marketing
practices to participate in a September 15, 1997, visit with Congress.

Right now, only a few members of Congress really understand the Internet,
and even fewer understand why Microsoft is a threat to the Net's continued
growth and development.  Since consumers can't rely on the Justice Department to
stop the Microsoft monopoly, NetAction wants Congress to put pressure on the
Justice Department to vigorously enforce the laws intended to protect
competition.  As a start, NetAction will be asking Congress to hold public
hearings so that consumer concerns about Microsoft will be on the record.

More information about the Sept. 15 visit to Congress is on the NetAction
Web site at <http://www.netaction.org/monitor/mon06.html#congress>.  A
registration form for participants is at
<http://www.netaction.org/lobby-form.html>.

If you would like to be informed of new developments in NetAction's Consumer
Choice Campaign, subscribe to the Micro$oft Monitor, a free electronic
newsletter.  

To subscribe, send an E-mail message to: majordomo@netaction.org 
In the body of the message, type: subscribe monitor 
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About NetAction Notes  

NetAction Notes is a free electronic newsletter, published by NetAction to
promote effective grassroots organizing on the Internet.  NetAction is a
national, non-profit organization dedicated to educating the public, policy
makers, and the media about technology-based social and political issues,
and to teaching activists how to use the Internet for organizing, outreach,
and advocacy.

To subscribe to NetAction Notes, send a message to: <majordomo@manymedia.com>
The body of the message should state: <subscribe netaction>

To unsubscribe at any time, send a message to: <majordomo@manymedia.com>  
The body of the message should state: <unsubscribe netaction>

NetAction is supported by individual contributions, membership dues and
grants. For more information about contributing to NetAction, contact Audrie
Krause by phone at (415) 775-8674, by E-mail at akrause@igc.org, visit the
NetAction Web site at: http://www.netaction.org, or write to: 
NetAction * 601 Van Ness Ave., No. 631 * San Francisco, CA 94102
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Copyright 1997 by NetAction/The Tides Center.  All rights reserved.
Material may be reposted or reproduced for non-commercial use provided
NetAction is cited as the source.  NetAction is a project of The Tides
Center, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

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